We are pleased to bring back our series of stand alone “Work on Your Communication” workshops for 2023! These workshops are designed to provide Autistic and Neurodivergent individuals opportunities to learn and practice essential social communication skills.
Each 90-minute workshop will cover a different aspect of communication, providing information, tips and strategies on connecting and thriving in social situations. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and practice new skills, receive feedback and mentorship in a small group setting.
All sessions are conducted in-person at The Ability Hub, located on the 3rd floor of the Child Development Centre (3820 24th Avenue NW). There is no cost to attend and we’ll even cover your parking.
Advance registration is not required and you only need to attend the sessions that interest you. All sessions begin promptly at 4:00 p.m.
The workshop topics and dates are as follows:
Tuesday, January 24 – Non-verbal Communication: Learning how to tell if others want to talk with you.
Do you find it challenging to know if people are interested and willing to talk with you? In this session, we’ll talk about non-verbal communication and learn some of the visual cues and strategies you can use to find out.
Tuesday, January 31 – Strategies for Entering Conversations: Easy ways to start or join social conversations.
We know that starting a conversation or joining in a conversation that is already underway can be difficult. In this session, we’ll learn and practice a few strategies to help you enter into conversations more confidently.
Tuesday, February 7 – Strategies for Exiting Conversations: Easy ways to end or leave a conversation.
How do you end or leave a conversation when it’s time to go? In this session, we’ll talk about strategies you can learn and practice to help you leave a conversation or end a conversation in tactful ways.
Tuesday, February 14 – Establishing Social Connections: 5 Pro-tips for successful social relationships.
Meeting new people and making friends isn’t always easy. In this session, we’ll share 5 tips you can practice and use when it comes to making friends and maintaining social relationships.
Tuesday, February 21 – Conversation 101: How to discover what you have in common with others.
Do you find small talk challenging? Do you sometimes find it difficult to connect with people and find common things to talk about? In this session, we’ll cover the basics of conversation and offer tips and strategies to assist you in finding common ground and talking points with others.
Tuesday, February 28 – Handling Disagreements: Top tips for keeping your cool.
Do you get frustrated when someone disagrees with you? Do you find it difficult to stay calm and composed? In this session, we’ll talk about conflict and share the top tips to help you keep your cool when you’re in the middle of a disagreement and strategies to help you work through it.
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@sinneavefoundation.org.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Dates: March, 2, 9, 16, 2022
Time: 4:00 – 5:15 p.m.
Location: Online
Series overview:
Join Dr. Shane Lynch, Amy Tatterton and Jodi Taylor for a 3-part learning series geared specifically for educators, education assistants, learning coaches, or anyone who works with students on the autism spectrum.
Through all three sessions, attendees will gain a better understanding of autism and neurodiversity through a strengths-based lens, focusing on developing realistic and attainable strategies to best support their students; learn about conditions that accompany autism and their effects in the classroom environment; and spotlight the incredible potential these students have when they are in learning environments that support their engagement.
By fostering educational settings that highlight ability over deficits, we know autistic and neurodiverse students can thrive as they transition to adulthood. We invite you to come ready to participate in rich discussion and Q & A.
There is no cost for this series, which will take place Wednesdays, March 2, 9 and 16 from 4:00 – 5:15 p.m. online. Registration for each session is individual, but we strongly recommend you participate in all three for the most comprehensive learning experience.
This event is being offered in partnership with Calgary Regional Consortium (CRC) and clicking the registration button below will connect you to their website.
This button will allow you to register for the entire series. If you want to attend individual sessions only, please continue reading the session descriptions below.
Register for all three sessions
March 2nd – Session One: Autism in the Classroom
Session attendees will gain a better understanding of autism and neurodiversity through a progressive, strengths-based lens. We will tackle some common myths about autism and discuss how autism and neurodiversity can show up in an educational environments like the classroom. This information will then guide us into discussing some key realistic and attainable strategies that can be used to best support these students. Attendees are encouraged to come ready to participate in rich discussion and Q&A.
To register for Part One only, click here
March 9th – Session Two: The Iceberg of Autism and Neurodiversity
Did you know that autistic individuals have a higher prevalence of co-occurring medical conditions than their neurotypical peers? Session attendees will strengthen their existing knowledge of autistic and neurodiverse populations by learning about conditions that can accompany autism and their effect in the classroom environment. This information will then guide us into a discussion about the line between teaching and treatment. Attendees are encouraged to come ready to participate in rich discussion and Q&A.
Recommended (not mandatory) pre-requisite: Session One: Autism in the Classroom
To register for Part Two only, click here
March 16th – Session Three: Autism: Spotlight on Potential
In the final session of the autism learning series for educators, we put the spotlight on the incredible potential of autistic and neurodiverse students when they are in learning environments that support their engagement and readiness for learning. By fostering an educational setting that highlights ability over deficit, autistic and neurodiverse students can thrive and go on to realize their full potential as they transition to adulthood. Attendees are encouraged to come ready to participate in rich discussion and Q&A.
Recommended (not mandatory) pre-requisite: Session One: Autism in the Classroom & Session Two: The Iceberg of Autism and Neurodiversity
To register for Part Three only, click here
Workshop: Thriving and Autism: Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Success
Date:
February 10th, 2022 6:30 – 8:30 PM
This workshop will be made available FREE and ONLINE via CES.
Ticket Price: Free
Workshop Description:
We all have an intuitive notion of what it means to live well, or what it means to thrive, or what human flourishing looks like. But figuring out what thriving looks like for us personally is a really hard question to answer. If you are autistic, that question might be even harder to figure out. This is often because even well-intentioned advice and strategies were developed by non-autistic researchers and tested with non-autistic participants and thus are not always helpful. In this workshop, Dr. Brown will present findings from research conducted primarily by autistic researchers themselves, in which they examined the constructs of wellbeing and quality of life for autistic individuals. By drawing on the lessons from the neurodiversity movement and personal experience, she will also present tips, tools, and strategies for learning to Thrive. The importance of (a) presumed competence and autonomy; (b) sparks, flow, and special interests; and (c) positive identity, belonging, and connection will specifically be considered.
Presenter Bio:
Dr. Heather M. Brown was originally trained as an elementary school teacher, but she is now an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta. She is also an autistic professional who studies autism. Her AIDAN lab aims to uncover strategies to support the academic achievement and overall well-being of autistic children, youth and adults. By doing so, her research is poised to empower autistic individuals to be more self-confident in their neurodiversity and to develop a better understanding of the factors that most support their well-being at home, work and school.
View the poster for more information or register below.
